two poems.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.

—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

- "one art" by elizabeth bishop


i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

- e.e. cummings

one, two, three, Four, tell me that you love me more...

A great surprise awaits you on Route 110 in Melville.

I ventured out to Four Food Studio with my girlfriends last month,

which was really exciting for me since I've always wanted to try Four.

Needless to say, we were impressed.

The overall atmosphere of the restaurant is swanky and modern, sort of reminiscent of Dressler in Williamsburg, only the space was a lot larger and Cobra Starship was pumpin' at the bar.

The girls and I shared a tomato mozzarella flatbread with pesto and olive oil to start off- it was crisp and perfect. We selected our main courses off of the Winter Menu - I selected the butternut squash ravioli with sage, wild mushrooms, and sauteed in brown butter. It was decadent - the flavors all complemented one another and the ravioli melted in my mouth. Jessica also had the butternut squash ravioli and was pleased by it. Heather had the Whole Mediterranean Sea Bass with Grilled Lemons and Fingerling Potatoes - and she enjoyed it too.

Did we get dessert? Of course we did! We also sampled their signature cocktails, too. After dinner, we hit the bar for some vino and mingling, but it was after 9 PM and the crowd wasn't that great, so we ended up spending only about an hour at the bar. It was a distinct contrast to when we first went in at 7 - the crowd was pretty huge and it seemed to attract a younger after-work crowd. We would definitely like to go back for some happy hour drinks!

Four Food Studio has a unique concept to it - it has four rooms and four menus corresponding to each of the four seasons. Four is currently serving lunch from its Autumn menu and dinner from its Winter menu. Each menu has eclectic selections for those who want to awaken their taste buds from their winter slump. With appetizers like Grilled Baby Octopus and Tuna Tataki salad, who wouldn't be awakened? And that's only the precursor to the savory entrees. The food, coupled with the ambiance and the friendly service, makes Four a great dining experience. Although it is a little pricey, it's definitely worth a try.

For more information about Four Food Studio, click here.

Four receives Four out of Five Stars!

new beginnings

wow. it's been one hell of a year. 

i've lived. loved, and lost, like any other, but i came to terms with my feelings towards food.
i've learned to enjoy healthy dishes, discern new tastes and sensations, and to just savor food.

as i begin this new year, i've decided to make a promise to myself.

I promise to: 

never settle 

&

take risks!

so here's to another year of fun foodie adventures and new experiences!

cheers.

xo.

my christmas wish list

the holidays are here

and you know what that means

(aside from mistletoe, good food, and holiday cheer)?

presents!!!

for those of you who are curious,

here's my wish list:

a flip video recorder!

(how cute is that? who wouldn't want to take up filmmaking as a hobby with this camera!)

this precious lilliberg loveseat from ikea

as our little apartment is in desperate need of a couch!

we can't borrow my mom's sofabed forever!

this adorable tory burch tote

(yes, i'm obsessed)

this precious lilly pulitzer murfee scarf just adds a POP of pretty pastels!

perfect for cheering up those winter blues!

 this original Lilly Pulitzer small tote is too cute for words!

the description sums it up perfectly:

Are you the kind of person that carries your ENTIRE life around with you in her purse? or are you the kind of person who actually knows how to edit. I mean, do you really need your flatiron while grocery shopping? IF you have the divine talent of being able to edit then this is the tote for you, Just the right size for your TRUE daily essentials.

 

Glee, Season 1. Enough said.

and an amazon.com gift card so i can buy Gone With The Wind, Sunshine Clearing, 500 Days of Summer, and Julie and Julia!

(whew!)

so tell me, what's on YOUR wish list this holiday season?

xo

dear cosi,

you have had my heart for the past 5 years.

tonight, you didn't disappoint.

xoxo

jessie

cosi = greatness. and as of tonight i can officially say that i've gone to the only two cosi's on long island! woo hoo! this time around i had the signature salad and chai latte...12.25 well spent. :) cosi is the ONLY SSF approved chain cafe restaurant, and it's worth the trek!

there are two cosi's on long island:

one in great neck

and one in plainview (right near red mango!)

for more info, go to www.getcosi.com.

thanksgiving (give thanks).

appetizer: toasts with roasted red pepper and eggplant spread from trader joe's.

(with a drizzle of olive oil)

my special vegetarian whole wheat pasta mix!

whole wheat penne + shrimp + asparagus + mushrooms =

deliciousness!

a table set for three ladies

 dinner!

mashed potatoes

and stuffing.

(my fave!)

and my favorite part of dinner,

a colorful salad with pomegranate seeds

tomato

peppers

spinach

and lettuce!

i take pride in my salads.

thanksgiving was fantastic and relaxing!

i hope you all enjoyed yours,

and remembered to give thanks for all you have

and remember the people who don't have a lot.

<3

-jb

the shell shocked needing of early dreaming

is worth all the fuss.

i've been one busy lady lately

trying to make my way.

sadly, i haven't had much time to cook

and take photos

which makes me sad

because i've gone to some great restaurants with great friends

lately

and it's a shame i don't have any photos.

like last friday night

heather and i went to dressler in williamsburg

and we had a FANTASTIC tuna appetizer

a delicious bottle of wine

and a great entree,

scottish salmon.

dressler is now my all time favorite restaurant.

especially for a poignant, post-breakup dinner with a great friend

getting some much-needed girl time

and drinking

and eating great food.

anyway, when i go back

(and i say when because i mean it)

more photos! promise!

anyway, i'm cooking dinner for another close friend tomorrow night

and i'm trying to wrap my head around the potential foods i can serve

and my head's so foggy right now.

i have a great new job

and great new friends

but there's so much that i miss from two weeks ago

like a certain gerry and my coworkers

that it still hurts a bit

anyway, enough with the rambling,

more food soon!

promise!

i'm still alive!

xo

jb